Thread: Disinfect a used razor?

If you purchase a used razor, do you disinfect the razor any special way prior to using it? Is this an odd question? I'm a little weird when it comes to this and usually only buy new, but if I did buy a used razor, what would I need to do to clean and sterilize it?

I think alcohol/peroxide wipe will be good enough.
In fact you can just run it in hot water wipe and let sit for a few hours.
Bacteria etc do not like living on steel so after a few days the blade will be clean of any germs.

Another way to sterilize it would be to wrap the scales in paper or aluminum foil and then set the razor out in a secure place in the sunshine. Sunlight is a pretty good disinfectant, but some scales may not like it, thus the paper wrap.

I use Barbicide to disinfect razors that I sell. It's cheap and kills pretty much everything.

i use cool care + works nice. gl

I use Chlorox and it works perfectly.
But I put the razors only one minute into Chlorox (mixed with water).
Never had a problem with different kind of scales.

But you should be patient!
Regards
Tom

BTW:
Also funeral homes use straight razors and sell their old items.
Thats why I use for old and dirty blades such aggressive material.

Originally Posted by eTom

I use Chlorox and it works perfectly.
But I put the razors only one minute into Chlorox (mixed with water).
Never had a problem with different kind of scales.

But you should be patient!

And you should be warned:
Anyone who wants to try this on their own razors should be aware that Chlorox (bleach) can create rust on a razor very quickly. If you watch it under a microscope, you watch it form after very brief exposure.

That's correct.
After desinfection I use water and prepare the blades for honing.
If I'm ready with honing I use Ballistol.
Only in this case you should use such aggressive items.

Like Utopian said, sodium hypochlorite is a heavy oxidizer and will ruin a blade pretty quickly. Your two primary concerns are the HIV and HBV viruses. HIV will have died in transit of your new blade and the HBV virus will die if you rinse the blade in 90% alcohol available at your local drug store.

I have a container of Barbicide wipes. The blade has to stay wet for a few minutes to "complete" the process, but afterwards I wipe the blade clean and oil very lightly with Ballistol, since I have about 20 razors in my rotation and they do sit a long time between uses.

I'm curious why you feel the need to disinfect your own razors between uses. Are you afraid of catching your own cooties?